According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science website reported that the United States Kansas State University and the Spanish Institute of Science and Technology in Barcelona (BIST) scientists composed of international research team, the first successful use of the laser with 4 atoms of molecules in 9 femtosecond chemical reaction dynamics process. The new study, published in the journal Science, will provide scientists with powerful tools for observing different types of reaction processes and molecular changes in the chemical, biological and physical sciences.

Femtosecond only one thousand trillionth of a second, many chemical reactions occur in the femtosecond of the moment, had no way to measure the process of femtosecond molecular changes. Using brightest laser pointer to record changes in femtosecond, the first by the Kansas State University physicist Lin Yidong (transliteration) and colleagues, and in 2012 the first time with a laser to capture two atoms of oxygen molecules dynamic decomposition process. And the shooting of larger molecules need to use a stronger laser, after nearly 5 years of long study, Lin Yidong team finally BIST Institute of Optics Jens Bigert team to overcome this challenge, shoot with 4 Atomic acetylene molecules (two carbon atoms and two hydrogen atoms) chemical bond cleavage process.

The international team used a medium-infrared laser induced electron diffraction (LIED) technology, the use of molecular internal electrons for the molecular camera, access to acetylene chemical bond breaking process of continuous shooting pictures. They applied a strong laser beam to the acetylene molecule, activating an electron to leave the molecule, initiating the decomposition of the acetylene molecule, and finally taking a series of pictures for the molecular change that occurred within 9 femtoseconds. "This is the first real-time observation of the molecular decomposition process within 9 femtoseconds."

The team also obtained through the continuous shooting photos, accurate measurement of acetylene molecules within the new chemical bond length. Lin Yidong explained that there are four atoms in the acetylene molecule, the molecular structure contains multiple chemical bonds, with the help of femtosecond 5000mw laser pointertools, researchers can detect the chemical bond break position and order, in order to better understand and control the chemical reaction process.